Bridge construction.



PATBNTED APR. 26, 1904.

No. 758,428.. v

W. R. DIEHL. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 31, 1903- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES No.758,428. PATENIBD APR.26,1'904. w. R. DIBHL.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31, 1903. H0 MODEL. 3 SHRINK-SHEET 2- Y fil y/2 WITNESSES MW W wgg a a/mu A 0 9 1 6 2 R P A D B T N E T A P L H E I D R W cm 2 8 5 7 o N BRIDGE OONSTRUOTION APPLICATION FILED 00131, 1903.

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THE NORRIS areas ca. PNOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904;

PATENT OFFICE.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,428, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed October 31, 1903, Ser al No. 179,417. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. DIEHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Bridge Construction, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

' 'In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is and is especially applicable where the bridge is somewhat higher than the adjacent shore. Bridges over navigable streams are required to be of suflicient height above the water-level to permit of the passage of river traflic, and therefore their extremities are generally so far above the level of the river-banks or the connecting streets that'long approaches are required, causing great damage to the surrounding property in addition to the cost of construction. It often happens that the approaches are more costly than the bridge proper. My invention does away with such long and costly approaches and obviates the damage to property on the connecting streets entirely. I effect these very desirable ends by means of an auxiliary approach system, by means of which traflic on the bridge is brought from the level of the bridge-floor proper to the level of the connecting streets, and Vice versa, without encroaching in the slighest degree on said streets or injuring the adjacent property.

My system, generally speaking, consists of a substantially spiral incline plane leading from the floor-level of the bridge to that of the street, and it is carried by an auxiliary structure, which may be attached to the extremities of any bridge-such, for instance, as a bridge raised after buildingwithout difficulty. I prefer to place one of my approaches at each side of a bridge end, one to accommodate the trafic in either direction; but it is evident that where traflic is light and the item of expense a very important one one of my inclined structures could be used to accommodate traffic in both directions.

The following is a description of my invention as illustrated in the'drawings:

In Fig. 1 the shore end 1 of the bridge proper, 2, (shown for sake of clearness in the drawings as an ordinary truss-bridge,)is supported on an arched structure or pillars 4, surmounting pier 4. I

5 is the floor of the bridge proper, and traflic is to be led from such floor-level 5 to the streetlevel 6 and in the opposite direction. To effect this I preferably construct an inclined plane 7, leading from said floor-level 5 of the bridge to the street-level 6. However, I do not wish to limit myself to the shown formation in the approach, but I may use an approach of any character made of a plurality of planes reversed in direction, one or more of which planes may be inclined while the rest are horizontal. This inclined structure 7 consists of a floor provided with suitable guards (not shown) and is preferably supported, as shown in the drawings, where the land-space is limited by extending it out over the water and under a portion of the bridge structure proper, said portion over the water being preferably in such case supported from the bridge proper; I but a separate pierjto support the same might in this case be built, if desired. As shown,there :--fore, I preferably support my inclined structure 7 by means of uprights 8, carried by arches 9 or by supports 10 on piers 11, as desired.

I have shown the section of my approach leading from the bridge-floor 5 to the first curve in the plane supported by pillars 8, which are in turn supported by arches 9, which also support the roadway 12, thus forming a connecting-link between my approach and the street-level; but it will be understood that pillars 8 could be extended to rest on the ground or on piers,'such as 11, if'desired, doing away with the arched structure 12 and independently taking care of the connecting-link between the approach and the street.

The portion of my approach structure which extends over the water or where no piers for any cause can be conveniently placed I prefer to carry on a truss 13, the inner end of which is preferably supported by the outer pier 11 and the outer end of which is supported from the bridge proper. If desired, an additional pier may be provided to support the outer end of said truss 13.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I have provided one of my inclined approaches for each side of a bridge end, one for entering traific and one for departing traffic. This is especially convenient when street-car traflic is to be taken care'of; As shown in Fig. 2, I provide a track 14 for cars entering the bridge ascending the right-hand plane and track 15 for cars leaving the bridge descending the left-hand plane.

The use of two of my planes for a bridge end permits me to support the outer ends of trusses 13 by means of a saddle-truss 16, preferably supported from the top members 17 of the bridge proper. A t each end of truss 16 are horizontal frames 18,from which depend hangers or depending supports 19, by means of which the outer ends of trusses 13 are supported, together with the curved reversing-section of the plane 7,which leads under the floor of the bridge proper and connects with arched roadway 12, thus leading to the street-level.

It is of course evident that the approach 7 could be supported equally well from the floor or lower beams of the bridge proper without departing from my invention.

It is evident that each of the approaches 7 consists of several parts. First, a section 7, which in acorresponding pair of inclines is the same and of the full width of the bridge-floor, leading from the bridge-floor to the first reversing-section 7", which reverses the direction of the approach 7 and connects with the section 7 which in turn leads from the first reversingsection 7 to the second reversingsection 7 As shown in the drawings, said section 7 c is partially supported by piers l1 and partly by truss 13. Second reversing-section 7 connects section 7 and the section 7 ,which connects with the street-level. As shown, said section 7 leads under the bridge-floor proper and is supported at one end by truss 13,which is supported at each end by hangers 19. By leading the last section 7 under the roadway of the bridge and the first section 7, the supports 4 being arched or distanced apart to permit it, I am enabled to unite the last section 7" of the twin approaches,which is carried for a portion of its length by means of hangers 21 from the fioor of the bridge and part way by roadway 12, thus connecting the street and bridge by means of a roadway the full width of the bridge-floor. It is of course evident that if I so-desire I could reverse sections 7 d in the other directions, thus connecting the approaches with the shore outside of the piers 11 instead of with the two lines thereof, as shown.

20 is the walk for foot passengers,which may be led up a direct incline passing over section 7 and under section 7 of the incline, as shown. If desired, foot passengers, however, may use the approaches 7 in crossing the bridge, or stairs may be provided for their use. In case an incline, as 20, be used, any convenient means (not shown) may be provided to support such incline.

Many variations of the method described for sake of illustration will occur to skilled engineers by means of which the inclined planes could be supported-such as, for instance, where the river-bank permits the support of the entire plane by means of piers 11, or,again, carrying the entire section 7 c on a large truss supported at both ends by piers or at one end by a pier and the other end by a saddle-truss carried by the bridge proper, as shown, or, again, the section 7 a may be carried by means of a pier centrally located as to its length from which the truss 13 could be swung or suspended. It is also evident that where sufficient space intervenes between the bridge end and the street the entire approach may be located between the line of the pier 1 and the street end 6 without departing from the spirit of my invention.

From the above it is evident that my invention provides an easily and complete solution of the problem of approaches where the bridgefioor is above the level of the connectingstreet or river-bank, inasmuch as the grade of my incline may be made so slight as to in no wise impede traffic and at the same time raise and lower the same to the required level without difiiculty.

My invention can be applied to bridge construction without great expense and is especially applicable to instances where old bridges have been subsequently raised so that their floors are above the level of the old approaches. I have shown my plane consisting of one spiral; but it is evident that should the differ.-

ence in level to be overcome require it Icould add additional planes or turns to my structures, and thus keep down the grade of the approach without departing from my invention.

Although I have described my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings with great minuteness, for the sake of clearness I do not desire to limit myself thereby; but

I claim, broadly 1. In a bridge, a floor, an approach thereto. said approach being composed of reverse planes, said planes being vertically at oblique angles to the floor of said bridge.

2. In a bridge, the floor-level of which is above the adjacent shore, a main deck extending across the bridge, an auxiliary deck supported either entirely or in part from the bridge proper and communicating with the shore and a system of planes connecting said decks.

3. In a bridge, the floor-level of which is IIO I above the adjacent shore, a main deck extending across the bridge, an auxiliary decksupported beneath said main deck either entirely or in part from the bridge proper and communicating with the shore, a system of substantially straight planes connecting said decks together and cross connections between said planes.

4. In a bridge, a main deck above the level of the adjacent shore and extending across the bridge, an auxiliary deck supported entirely or in part from said bridge under said main deck and communicating with the adjacent shore and systems of reversing planes leading from said main deck to said auxiliary deck, the river ends of said planes being supported over the water substantially as and for the purpose described.

, 5. In a bridge, a main deck above the level 

